David Nicholls, author of One Day

David Nicholls is the author of the literary phenomenon One Day which was recently adapted into a Netflix series starring Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall. He’s written four other bestsellers, as well as numerous screenplays, and his latest book You Are Here is out tomorrow, and available to preorder now.

You Are Here: The new novel by the author of global sensation ONE DAY

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When, where and how do you write?

There’s something romantic about the idea of writing through the night with a glass of whisky by your side, but I’m a strict 9-to-5 writer – new material in the morning, editing and admin in the afternoon. Ideally I’d write at my desk but I’m an insomniac and often resort to a laptop on the sofa, with predictable results. I cycle to my office every day. It works for me to leave the house. At home, I’d empty the dishwasher, make endless cups of coffee or tidy up.

Do you have any routines or rituals that help you get writing?

I put on a piece of music – something short without vocals, a Bach cello suite maybe – to obscure the terrifying silence at the start of the day. The hope is that the music will stop and I won’t notice.

Are you a plotter or a freestyle pantser?

I was a TV scriptwriter before I turned to fiction, and that is all about planning, so initially I used to plot methodically. One Day was a series of charts and biographical details and diaries. These days I’m less formal, but I do always know the ending and prepare a lot – 30-40k notes before I start on the novel itself.

What do you find most challenging as a writer?

Persistence. Knowing that something will get better if you take another look, then doing that over and over again.

Do you aim for a certain number of words a day?

I’m editing at present and a good day’s work can be losing a thousand words. But at first draft stage, a good day can be anything between 500 and 2,000, though often in a very loose note form.

What do you do when you’re stuck?

Read! Every book has a series of touchstones, things that I love and hope to emulate, and I find that it helps to pause and read and remember what great writing feels like.

What would you say to someone who is struggling to get started?

Don’t start with Chapter One! First sentences are paralysing. Just put words on the page without being too precious. You have to find your voice before you can tell the story. Inevitably, for a long time, you’ll think, ‘This is terrible, this is the worst thing I’ve ever read.’ It’s rare to feel good about it. Most of the time you’re just swearing and covering your face in embarrassment, but you have to work through that. I have a document that no one ever sees, a kind of scrap paper, and that document is mortifying. Then I have another document that is the book itself, and you only put things in that when you feel like they’re not going to shame you. Eventually, that folder gets big enough to show to someone.

What is your number-one piece of writing advice?

Buy an internet blocker and use it, even if it’s just for an hour a day.